Showpiece venue to be declared open

The refurbished Bowl stadium in Douglas is being officially reopened today (Tuesday).

The site, adjacent to the National Sports Centre, has been transformed into a showpiece venue for next month's Commonwealth Youth Games.

However, at one stage it looked as if the £3 million scheme might not go ahead.

In July last year Tynwald unanimously backed plans for plans to transform the ageing football stadium into a modern, multi-purpose sports venue.

The vote came at the end of protracted wranglings between the Manx government and Douglas Corporation, the owners of the facility at the time.

Ultimately the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure took over the facility for the nominal sum of £1, with government paying for the work.